I teach in the densest school of our city with around 9000 enrolled students and with only one computer laboratory with less than 20 functional desktop coputers. This did not stop me from preparing my students with global education in mind. I tapped the community, particulary the internet cafe owners, where their shops are adjacent to our school and requested them to convert their business centers into a Computer Learning Center during requested times, and they did. The owners gave my students discounts and priority in giving access to computers and the internet. Through innovative use of technology, my English class students were able to create learning bridges with their peers from local and international communities in Europe. This led to on-line activity where my ESL students were able to have their Final Oral Examination through virtual on line interviews with friends from Nepal, Canada, Malaysia and Taipei. Some of these friends were introduced through my invitation posted on TIG. TIG is an example of good avenue for safe on-line educational activities.
The partnership we made with local and international communities postively impacted the education sector and education stakeholders in our district and later in my whole country. It encouraged the conducting of advocacy and training on digital literacy and integration of technology in teaching to school administrators, teachers, parents and partner stakeholders.
I encourage my fellow educators to build partnerships around local and international communities to achieve the objective of a world class education. The world is only one touch point of our keyboard and students need to see the real picture of the world. Let's give them hight quality education by involving them to an authentic lifelong learning experiences that willl lead them in understanding our diverse world.
As Dudley Lynch has been quoted, "We don't see the world as it is, but we see it with the way we think." How would you like our children see the world?
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